By Michael Kelley and Mick Kowaleski

While the NFL toils in talks with striking referees, the season began without its true officials. Instead, Week 1 of the 2012 season was called by a motley crew of men (and woman) who previously officiated Division III, high school, and…ahem…Lingerie Football League games.

Kowaleski: Oh my Goodell. Roger, what have you done to the game I love? The replacement refs are tearing apart the rules of the game. In a generation of sports in which referees are even more reviled and scrutinized than ever due tosuper-duper-slow-mo-instant-replay with molecule enhancing features to see if that player DID step out of bounds (answer: the molecule of his cleat did come into contact with an atom of white grass. Cue the swearing and howling), it’s unfair to put these guys out onto the field with their current knowledge.

While their preseason crimes can be forgiven, you simply can’t ruin the real games without people (i.e. yours truly) getting upset. Refusing Pat Shurmur a challenge, failing to blow the whistle after incomplete passes, and forgetting that the Seahawks actually have three timeouts instead of four…I just don’t know what to think.

Actually, I do. Roger, get the real refs out there, and fast. Even though it’ll take Ed Hochuli and gang a month to shake off the rust, it’s better than a whole season of this. People are going to start getting hurt, and odds are it’s these poor saps you threw to the wolves.

Kelley: Preach it. The NFL needs Ed Hochuli and his oversized arms back on the field ASAP. What happened this past Monday night should have hammered that point home with Commissioner/Dictator Goodell.

In the Monday Night Football clash between division rivals Oakland and San Diego, the replacement officials incorrectly ended the game, preventing the Raiders from running one last play in their 22-14 loss to the Chargers. The last play would have required the Raiders to score a 95-yard touchdown, and then make the two-point conversion, so it is unlikely that the call affected the outcome of the game. But the simple fact that the replacement refs didn’t know the rule is a huge problem.

This, in addition to the awkward penalty announcements and overall lack of control during games, puts the NFL in a position where they need the real refs more than the refs need them. One blown call can affect an entire season and it is due time that Goodell realizes that before it’s too late.

The two best scorers in the NBA are working out together for the second straight year. LeBron James and Kevin Durant, competitors in the NBA Finals, are working two-a-days near LeBron’s hometown of Akron, Ohio in preparation for the upcoming season.

Kowaleski: Hell Week II: Even Hellier. Look, I know people are questioning this. Why would these two guys work together in such an close setting, letting each other know their most intimate techniques and characteristics on the court? In fact, why would Durant, who just lost to LeBron in the Finals, give his rival an even closer advantage? He could use any leg up he can get, right?
Right. And that’s why I love the fact that these guys are working out together. It’s like steel sharpening steel: these two players are two electrifying superstars in professional basketball today, and the fact that they’re making each other better during the offseason means that we can look forward to even better play in the season. The first time they had this “Hell Week” project, it resulted in Finals appearances for the both of them. I don’t care that they’re buddy-buddy. When it comes down to crunch time, they’ll throw their friendship out the window for a shot at the title. If the result of these practices are more Finals showdowns between the two, I’m all for it.

This could make LeBron-Durant the new Magic-Bird.

Kelley: No, no, no, and no. I hate Lebron-Durant camp 2012 and I am far from the only one. Sharing my perspective is none other than Skip Bayless, the controversial, yet must-watch, anchor on ESPN First Take. Skip tweeted at Durant three times on Wednesday, urging him to cut off LeBron as a training partner, stating, “You can’t let your primary rival be your best friend, especially when he’s mentally fragile.”

This is honestly one of the first times I’ve agreed with Skip and he couldn’t be more right. As you said above, Durant just lost to LeBron in the Finals, stepping aside for the King to receive his elusive ring. To get back on top, Durant needs to go under the radar, keep LeBron in the dark, and make him constantly curious. By exposing so much of himself (skills and especially personality), Durant concedes the mental edge to LeBron, a man who has shown mental fragility his whole year.

It’s time to cut the buddy-buddy crap and become the true rival that can dethrone LeBron.

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